NEWS: Legislation Proposed to Spur Timely Action on Alaska Budget
JUNEAU – In light of Alaska’s urgent need to get its fiscal house in order this session, Senator Bill Wielechowski (D–Anchorage) and Representative Scott Kawasaki (D–Fairbanks) will introduce cost-saving legislation to ensure that if legislators do not pass an operating budget within the voter-mandated 90-day session, they will not receive salary or per diem until the work is accomplished. They hope to incentivize legislators to buckle down and focus on the task at hand.
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NEWS: Pre-filed Legislation Seeks to Save Alaska Money and Improve Access to Healthcare
JUNEAU – Representative Adam Wool (D-Fairbanks) has pre-filed two bills intended to save Alaskans money on healthcare and improve access to medical doctors.
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NEWS: Pre-filed Bill Seeks to End High Cost Legislator Hotel, Dining, and Special Session Perks
Anchorage – Today, three members of the Alaska House of Representatives announced that they have pre-filed legislation to stop expensive charges by some legislators for hotels and meals. The bill also bans legislators from claiming per diem payments, which can exceed $200 per day, when Special Sessions are held in their home towns with no actual hotel costs. Last summer, some legislators and staff billed the state over $400 and $500 per night (including taxes) for hotel rooms in Seattle to attend the annual summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures. This occurred as the state is facing a more than $3 billion budget shortfall.
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NEWS: Rep. Gara Takes Pitch to the Chamber of Commerce Monday - Ways We Can Improve the Lives of Foster Children
ANCHORAGE — For the past month, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) has been on what he quips is a “World Tour in His Own Car”, pitching to large and small groups how they can help with Alaska’s exploding numbers of neglected and abused foster children. Just five years ago, Alaska had fewer than 1,800 foster youth. Today, that number has exploded to over 2,800. Rep. Gara is working to help these children to succeed and not face continued excuses and neglect.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Tomorrow: Public Forum, Let Us Hear It!
The two Chairs of the “Anchorage Caucus” have arranged a public forum at the Assembly Chambers at the Loussac Library, this Saturday (tomorrow) from Noon to 3 p.m. I’d expect most Anchorage-area legislators will attend, and I plan to come to listen to you. If you come, I’d suggest you arrive early to sign in early.
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